1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fundus imaging apparatus for imaging a fundus of an examinee's eye to observe the fundus.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a known fundus imaging apparatus arranged to two-dimensionally scan a laser beam across a fundus, and receive reflection light therefrom to produce a fundus image. For such fundus imaging apparatus, a technique (Scattered Light Imaging) has been known in which a ring aperture including a ring-shaped opening and a black-spot plate is placed in conjugate relation with a fundus of an examinee's eye to restrict reflection light from a light condensing point (a focus point) on a portion under observation, the method including receiving scattered light from front and back of the light condensing point to create an image (see JP2007-89828A).
In the case of conventional scattered light imaging, meanwhile, scattered light coming from front and back of the light condensing point is extracted through a ring-shaped opening and the scattered light (excluding the light shielded by a black-spot plate) scattered in nearly cone shape in all directions is received by a photo-receiving element. A scattered state of the scattered light is too strong to obscure fine biological materials (e.g. a fiber layer between cells in a fundus) existing on the fundus. It is therefore difficult to image such fine biological materials in an observable state.